Viking Danube Shore Excursions - Seeking Info

[toolworker]

Does anyone have a list of Viking's extra cost shore excursions and prices on the upper Danube for this or a recent year?

 

We are booking the Romantic Danube cruise for next May.

 

Viking is offering a choice of a beverage package, a cancel for any reason voucher benefit, or $200pp shipboard credit. We have to decide before putting down a deposit.

 

The only thing we'd use the credit on is shore excursions. Viking will only tell us verbally what the excursions are likely to be, and they won't tell us the price for 2017 or even 2016.

 

Does anyone have that information to share?

 

(And when did Viking start offering so many extra cost tours? We haven't done a Europe river cruise since 2009, and back then all the tours were included.)

[cliffdweller]

Toolworker, we are booked on the Romantic Danube cruise starting this Saturday. Once booked, we were able to access the optional excursion info.

 

Nuremberg - WW II tour - $69

 

Regensberg - BMW factory tour $49, Munich Highlights $199, and Thurn & Taxis $59

 

Passau - Salzburg Highlights $199

 

Krems - Apricot Dumpling Dem no price listed, Mozart and Strauss Musical $89

 

Vienna - Schonbrunn Palace $59, Museum of Fine Arts $149, Jewels of Vienna $169

 

Budapest - Lazar Equestrian park $59, Budapest Thermal Bath $79

 

Hope that helps. If you have other questions, I'll be glad to post after we return on the 13th. In any case, hope you enjoy your cruise.

 

Pat

[toolworker]

Thanks, Pat!

 

I can't imagine why Viking wouldn't give me that information.

[Bailey Swedishfish]

Unless you're a dedicated drinker, the drinks package isn't worth it. Use the shipboard credit you're being offered for any odd drinks you might want outside of the meals. Wine and beer (and pop) is included at meals and it's a bottomless glass.

 

I like the shipboard credit for laundry...and excursions.

 

The thing is, with My Viking Journey (the personalized online itinerary you get once you have a booking number) many of the extra-cost excursions need to be purchased online and you can't use shipboard credit for that. You CAN use the credit of excursions you purchase while on board--but--if the cruise if booked full (which many of them are) the excursions might be sold out before your sailing.

 

There are several excursions offered that are included in the cost of the cruise--there are a variety of add-on extra excursions that do cost out of pocket. It's all up to you what you'd like to do. We've done most of the Danube excursions and have enjoyed them greatly.

[toolworker]

Thanks, Bailey.

 

This Viking booking process makes me feel like a rat in a maze, except that Viking keeps hiding the cheese.

 

The way we do it on Regent Seven Seas, we book the tours online and pay for them. Then once aboard we cancel, get a refund, and rebook with our shipboard credit.

 

But with Viking, the tours are nonrefundable on the same payment schedule as the cruise price. Not only do we have to pay real money to insure we get them, we can't get on board, discuss the tours with the shipboard people who know more about them than the phone agents, and then make changes.

 

So we'll probably take the credit, and then have to make a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't decision about prepaying to nail down tours that we really want, based on the limited info we can get prior to boarding.

 

Then we will only be able to spend the credit on tours that we don't care enough about to pay real money for, or blow it in the gift shop.

[Floridiana]

Why not book with a company with more reasonable conditions and a better information flow?

[Bailey Swedishfish]

Thanks, Bailey.

 

This Viking booking process makes me feel like a rat in a maze, except that Viking keeps hiding the cheese.

 

The way we do it on Regent Seven Seas, we book the tours online and pay for them. Then once aboard we cancel, get a refund, and rebook with our shipboard credit.

 

But with Viking, the tours are nonrefundable on the same payment schedule as the cruise price. Not only do we have to pay real money to insure we get them, we can't get on board, discuss the tours with the shipboard people who know more about them than the phone agents, and then make changes.

 

So we'll probably take the credit, and then have to make a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't decision about prepaying to nail down tours that we really want, based on the limited info we can get prior to boarding.

 

Then we will only be able to spend the credit on tours that we don't care enough about to pay real money for, or blow it in the gift shop.

 

I appreciate your frustration. FWIW, our Christmas cruise last year was the first we'd been on that offered pre-purchase of excursions and while some were "sold out" online, once aboard, they offered them. I think on our Tulips trip this spring, once aboard, ONE activity was cancelled due to lack of interest. They also offered additional excursions that weren't offered online.

 

We have almost always had shipboard credit to use--you'll find plenty of "good" ways to spend it. Trust me!

 

We just booked a trip last week--for NEXT week. I've looked at My Voyage and all the excursions are still available. I'm not going to rush to book anything--we're going to wait til we're aboard and book. If we miss something, we can find other things to do on our own. We treat the boat like a floating hotel--hop on and off at our leisure and do our own thing. If a walking tour or excursion interest us and we can't do it on our own, we take advantage.

[CindyLouWhoII]

We're booked on Viking on the Romantic Danube. I'm having a hard time deciding on excursions. On day 3 in Budapest, they offer an excursion to Szentendre Open Air market? has anyone done this excursion? I kind of hate to leave Budapest and go to a different place. Also not sure about the Heurigen Dinner offered in Vienna. is it fun or should we really be going to the Mozart concert?

Edited May 18, 2017 by CindyLouWhoII
Misspelled words

[notamermaid]

I enjoyed Szentendre, it is a small place with a different feel to Budapest as it was partly inhabited by ethnic minorities. It is a small Baroque gem with an interesting Orthodox church. Also liked by artists. For an half-day excursion I recommend it. I would not go a full day, though. Look it up here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szentendre

 

The Heurigen dinner I did not go to as I was too tired and do not enjoy that music. It is wine tasting (experiencing the new wine of the season) with traditional music usually in a vintner's place. Quite different from a concert...

 

notamermaid

[FUNTIME99]

We are taking the Romantic Danube cruise in late September. We were given a $300 on-board credit, but recently found out you cannot use it to pre-book extra shore excursions or tips. This was a disappointment.

 

Looking for suggestions on whether we should (a) wait to book additional tours once we get on the ship and take the chance that they may be filled or (b) just go ahead and spend the extra money to secure the extra excursion now. Some of them seem expensive.

 

We are not big drinkers, so what else can we do with the $300 on-board credit. Is the gift shop that large that I can actually spend all the funds at the gift shop?

 

Appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks

[HokiePoq]

I enjoyed Szentendre, it is a small place with a different feel to Budapest as it was partly inhabited by ethnic minorities. It is a small Baroque gem with an interesting Orthodox church. Also liked by artists. For an half-day excursion I recommend it. I would not go a full day, though. Look it up here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szentendre

 

The Heurigen dinner I did not go to as I was too tired and do not enjoy that music. It is wine tasting (experiencing the new wine of the season) with traditional music usually in a vintner's place. Quite different from a concert...

 

notamermaid

 

My friend from Budapest recommended going here and told me how to use public transport to get there...not sure that I would do that as I can't read anything in the local language. But you take the trolley...tram...to the end of the line and it's there IIRC. We had already signed up for something else with Viking so we may not make it there.

We did not have the option in Passau that is mentioned but did take the one for the baths in Budapest. I cannot tell from the description which of the baths we will visit. From reading what my friend sent I found that Budapest has the most thermal areas after Iceland and New Zealand. Even some of the hotels have these baths. Hope ours does!

[HokiePoq]

Thanks, Bailey.

 

This Viking booking process makes me feel like a rat in a maze, except that Viking keeps hiding the cheese.

 

The way we do it on Regent Seven Seas, we book the tours online and pay for them. Then once aboard we cancel, get a refund, and rebook with our shipboard credit.

 

But with Viking, the tours are nonrefundable on the same payment schedule as the cruise price. Not only do we have to pay real money to insure we get them, we can't get on board, discuss the tours with the shipboard people who know more about them than the phone agents, and then make changes.

 

So we'll probably take the credit, and then have to make a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't decision about prepaying to nail down tours that we really want, based on the limited info we can get prior to boarding.

 

Then we will only be able to spend the credit on tours that we don't care enough about to pay real money for, or blow it in the gift shop.

 

Yes, it has been kind of a shock for us as we've taken many ocean cruises but this is the first river cruise. Paying upfront for the whole cruise rather than having a final payment about three months out....excursion payment as you describe, and generally not knowing what to expect. Just want to make the most of it and become a river cruise lover like so many here!

[Alberta Quilter]

We are taking the Romantic Danube cruise in late September. We were given a $300 on-board credit, but recently found out you cannot use it to pre-book extra shore excursions or tips. This was a disappointment.

 

Looking for suggestions on whether we should (a) wait to book additional tours once we get on the ship and take the chance that they may be filled or (b) just go ahead and spend the extra money to secure the extra excursion now. Some of them seem expensive.

 

We are not big drinkers, so what else can we do with the $300 on-board credit. Is the gift shop that large that I can actually spend all the funds at the gift shop?

 

Appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks

 

If the gift "shop" is anything like what we had on our river cruises in France, it's a couple of display cases filled with some jewelry, books and Viking branded caps, shirts, etc. They really don't have room for a shop. If that's your only option to use your OBC, then check it out at the start of the cruise before others deplete the inventory. I would suggest that you use your OBC for the occasional beverage, laundry and optional tours. Hopefully, the optional tours will be available when you board.

[notamermaid]

HokiePoq,

 

this website explains the spas: http://www.budapest.com/recreation_wellness/budapest_thermal_baths.en.html

 

I went to the Géllert baths - just for sightseeing and a bit of shopping, they have some nice bath related items available.

 

notamermaid